Pbocess of fobming and utilizing charges in combtjstion-motoes



1; ms icoa. v PROCESS OF FORMING AND UTILIZING CHARGES IN COMBUSTlON MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I6. 1915.

Patented N 0y. 4, 1919.

car s JOHN A. SECOR, OF LAPORTE, INDIANA.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. Snc'on, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laporte. in the county of Laporte and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Form ing and Utilizing Charges in Combustion- Motors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in processes of forming and utilizing a charge in a combustion motor, and has for one ob ject to provide a new and improved process for the operation of a combustion engine on low grade liquid fuels, wherein will be obtained those advantages heretofore confined to throttling engines in which combustion occurs at constant volume with an increase of internal pressure. These advantages include moderate weight of power unit and cost of manufacture; high etliciency, both mechanical and ctmnnercial; flexibility, including adaptability for high piston speeds and rotation rates. Added to these advantages, an engine operating under this process will have the thermal etliciency of the high compression, constant combustion pressure oil engine.

It is well known that, when a charge of air is drawn into the cylinder of a combustioii engine. and is then compressed, the pressl't-re may become so great that the heat of compression will be sufficient without any other ignition means to ignite or fire the charge of fuel, and the so-called Diesel motor is one'of the best known motors opcrating under this principle. In such a motor. special means are provided for injecting the fuel into thecombustion chamher, because to prevent pre-ignition the fuel is not injected appreciably until the beginning of the power stroke. This necessitates means for developing a pressure greater than the compression and combustion pressure of the engine for forcing the oil fuel in against that pressure. The oil fuel is fed into the cylinder at such a rate that the expansion due to the heat of combustion keeps pace with the increase of volumetric capacity due to the movement of the piston, so that. the pressure within the cylinder remains substantially unchanged until the fuel supply is cut off by the governor, following which adiabatic expansion ensues and is accompanicd by falling pressure tethe com- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application filed April 16, 1915. Serial No. 21,876.

pletion of the working stroke in the usual a manner.

In this arrangement, the fuel is injected and burned gradually, being mixed with the air only as it burus, and the longer the burning continues the less freely does it take place owing to the natural decrease in the relative proportion of oxygen, that is to say, the oil or fuel which is injected into the chamber burns slowly in the form of a continuous jet of flame because it is not intermingled with the air, as in the usual gas engine practice, and only that air which comes in actual contact with the oil fuel is available for combustion. This results in slowing down the combustion and compelling the motor to operate. at low speeds otherwise there is no time for combustion to take place or for the fuel to enter in.

The above must be contrasted with the ordinary combustion motor wherein the air and fuel are mixed and commingled before ignition so that each fuel particle is surrounded by its proper oxygen supply, thus permitting an almost instantaneous combustion of the charge extending throughout the entire combustion chamber, thus insuring the complete ignition under constant volume at the beginning of the stroke and allowing expansion to do the work from then on. This of course permits higher speeds, and is one of the radical difierences in perform ance between the high compression, slow burning constant pressure motor and the low compression constant volume explosion motor as now in use. In my arrangement I propose to combine certain features of the low compression constant volume motor with the thermal advantages of constant high compression at all loads and speeds.

My engine then is somewhat similar to the Diesel in that conetantdiigh compressions are used for a'varying output of power, and that high temperatures are developed in the combustion chamber by the-compression employed. I propose to compel the air as it is inhaled uncontrolled and unthrottled during the suction stroke, to inhale with it the proper fuel supply, thus insuring a mixing and commingling of the atomized fuel with the air, and'rendering separate fuel injecting means, and fuel valves exposed to the heat and pressure of the compression and explosion pressures unnecessary. I propose, however, to add to the mixture a supply of the effective size of the liquid supply pipe be lean; it may have a maximum or it may water or other suitable combustion retarding or cylinder cooling means such as will preventself-ignition. At the appropriate time I' will then fire the charge with an electric spark in the usual manner.

The admixture of water with the fuel charge forms a fuel mixture of high specific heat, reducing the tendency to self-ignition ,at high loads and permitting higher comcharging stroke, as in Brayton or Diesel oil engines, or ordinary hit or miss governed gas engines. It differs from the Diesel in that fuel and water are atomized by the entering air charge, being commingled therewith and inhaled as constituents of a homogeneous fuel charge, thereby obviating the mechanical power loss involved by fuel injection under pressure in excess of the pressure of compression and combustion. It still further differs fr'omthe Siemens, Brayton and Diesel "engines in that combu'stion occurs at constant volume and not under constant pressure. a

The supply of'fuel and water is positively turned on and off in a pre-determined synchronous relation to the movement of the engine intake valve, and is so timed that the fluid is turned .ofl" always except during that portion of the air intake stroke when -the air velocityis at or near a maximum, thus all drooling and dripping andtleaking or seepage of the fuel and water from the supply noozles at inopportune times is prevented, and only that amount of water or oil permitted to enter which is desired, and then only at the time when conditions are such that a maximum atomizing effect is obtained. A governor is provided which varies the quantity of fuel fed by controlling to control the speed and power, and this governor controls only the fuel and water, the air supply being always the same, the amount of air entering the cylinder-for each stroke being the same,'no matter what the speed or power.

My engine, therefore, takes in a constant volume of combustible mixture at each stroke. The mixturemay be rich or it may have a minimum of fuel but it is constant in volume. All the air passes through the Venturi tube and thus the problem of adjusting the relation between the engine and engine.

air and liquid is simple because there are no variable intakes, no throttle valves and no other interfering elements to enter in and the air velocity through the Venturi tube is in direct relation to the speed of the piston. I use a Venturi tube through which the air is drawn merely for the purpose of insuring maximum velocities of air and thus a maximum of atomization and mixing.

Under some circumstances it might be de-1 sirable to dispense with the Venturi tube and use other arrangement of intakes.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawlngs, wherein Figure l is a section showing an engine cylinder and air passage;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of jacket; A the piston; A a cam shaft carrying a cam A A a cam roller; A a valve stem carrying the cam roller; A an air inlet valve; A the valve seat; A the air supply passage bounded at one end with the valve seat A and at the other end by the Venturi tube A.

B, C are oil and water supply pipes discharging into the Venturi tube at its smallest point. They are each of them controlled by valves B C having adjustable lever arms B C controlled by links 13 C which in turn are adjustably mounted on the lever arms 13, C on the governor controlled rock shaft D. This governor controlled rock shaft has a rocker arm D on which is pivoted one end of the link D the other end of which leads to a sliding sleeve D controlled by governor weights D in the usual manner. These governor weights are r0- tated through the intermedium of the miter gears D in response to the rotation of the D is a collar on the shaft D. In it is a pin D. It is held in adjustable position upon that shaft by the set screw D so that play may be had between the governor and th' lug B on the hub which carries the arm thus permitting adjustment of the water and oil for different responses to the governor wlien desirable, so that the water -will be shut off as the load decreases before .the fuel is completly shut off. The pipes B, I

C are also controlled by valves B C. These Valves are adapted'to open and shut positively and they are controlled by operating levers B, Con which at adjustable points arepivotcd the links B, C which links are in turn controlled and pivoted at the other end of the rock shafts B C on the rock .shaft E. The distance between the pivotal pointof either end of said links and the axis of rotation is adjustable. E is a lever,

on the rock shaft F. It is slotted' to engage the pin E on the valve stem A so that a movement up and down of the valve stem results in a rotary movement of the, valves B C These valves. as indicated, are of such size and shape that the valve cylinder B makes an appreciable rotation before the aperture thercthrough comes in line with the fuel line. The result is that the valve is closed at the beginning and at the end of the intake stroke and it is only during the mid part of the intake stroke when the nppet valve of the engine is wide open ahd the intake velocity is a maximum that oil or water is fed to the air. The lever E and the lever B have what is in effect a bell crank lever and for convenience I have sotermed the combination.

F is a spark plug to which leads an ignition wire fed with a current from any suitable means not here shown and controlled in any suitable manner not forming a part of my invention.

It will be evident that while I have shown in my drawings an operative device still many changes might be made bothin size,

shape and arrangement of parts without dcparting from the spirit of my invention and I wish, therefore, that my drawings be regarded as in a sense diagrammatic.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows 2- has occurred, the engine intake valve will have had time to open sufliciently to insure Ithepassage of a high velocity stream of air through the Venturi tube past the. engine vallve into the cylinder.

It will be noted that in the diagramimitic form which I have shown, the liquid control valves are plug valves, and that an appreciable angular movement of the valve must take place before the liquid can commence to pass through. It is this angular moycment which gives time for the engine intake valve to open wide before the liquid oil or Water is permitted to flow. and it is this delay which insures a high velocity current .of air before any oil or water is fed, and also the picking up and carrying on or atomization of all fuel and water (lischarged toward the Vcnturi tube.

i The intei'val during which the supply of fuel and water is permitted I call" the mid stroke and the cutting in and cutting out tinuance of the high velocity air cur-- rent long enough to take up, atomize, mix and carry into the cylinder all of the water and fuel which may have been delivered by the water and fuel valycs to the Venturi tube. The fuel and water valves controlled in direct operative relation to the rotation of the engine are always open for exactly the same length of time during each suction stroke. They positively shut off the fuel and water supply at all times except during the suction stroke. and they are open always for the same pro portion of the suction stroke. They cannot therefore control the amount of fuel or water fed to the engine, because they always are open wide for a fixed time interval. In order to control the amount of liquid fed at each stroke, I provide a valve between each positive cut off valve and its discharge nozzle, and each of these valves is controlled by the governor, the governor being driven in the usual manner by the engine to operate these valves to open or shut them as the case may be, and thus control the amountof fuel or water which can be fed into the Venthri tube during the time when the liquid supply is open by the direct enginc controlled Valve.

In order that the relative amounts of fuel and water may be properly adjusted, l provide the, usual arrangement of slotted levers and screw held connecting rods. and in addition I provide an adjustable sleeve and pin as indicated. so that one valve may be set for operation after the other, so that the water valve will be operated before th oil valve, thus permitting an entire elimination of the water supply at low loads.

The result of so operating is, that there will be a very thorough and positive atomization and mixing of fuel and water with the air due to thc high velocity and large volume of the air current flowing into the cylinder. This thorough atomization of the fuel permits the use in the cylinder of high compression without self-ignition, so that the cylinder may, for example, in connection with the use of low grade liquid fuels. have compression of say 100 pounds,.although this figure is used merely for the matter of illustration. By in like manner thoroughly atomizing the water. whichpby cooling the interior of the cylindcr has a retarding effect of ignition. it is possible to still further increase thc comprcssion in the cylinder to say, for example, 200 pounds without self-ignition. Of course, both of these results could be more or less secured by leading less than all of the air through the Venturi tube into which it goes but; this is obviously the preferred form of the structure. The compression in the cylinder can be increased in proportion to the thoroughness'of the atomization of the liquid fuel, and again in proportion to the thoroughness of the atomization of the water. and by my arrangement-the atomization of both can be carried to a point where the compression in the cylinder can be as high as is consistent with economic structure arrangements. Thus the preferred process ins volves the taking of the entire air supply through the passageway into which the fuel and water are discharged. and the discharge of fuel and water during only the midstroke.

The term high compression is. of course, relative, and moreover in designing an engine, many of the important features of my invention could be conserved without havinga positively high compression. In such case, however, there would always be a constant compression pressure. If, there fore, in any'given case. a designer wishes to use my invention, and dispense with th advantages incident to so-called high compression pressure, he may still secure the benefit of a constant compression pressure, because he will have a uniform and uncontrolled supply of air. By having this uncontrolled air supply and feeding the fuel or water, or both, in the manner proposed, he will get a constant compression pressure even at low pressures, and thus a high thermodynamic efiiciency at low loads.

The arrangement can-be such that either or .hoth fuel and water can be thus introduced into a constant compression pressure cylinder when such pressure is either high or low, but preferably when it is high.

In order to make the foregoing description and the following claims clearly intelligible as to meaning and scope, it seemed best to explainthe significance which I attach to certain words and expressions.

Where I have spoken of constant compression, constant volume. constant quantity and uniform quantities and the like, I mean, of course, to use these termsas if they were preceded by the word approximately. \Vhere I speak of uniform quantities I mean to distinguish between the approximately uniform quantities as they are for example utilized in my process where there is no throttling of the air, and the sharply varying successive quantities of air taken into a cylinder where the operation involves the use. of air throttling.

When I use the expression constant compression, I mean thereby to indicate approximately a condition such as that which prevails in the Diesel engine.

By the use of the term compression stroke, I mean the stroke of'the piston during which the charge iscompressed in the cylinder.

By the expression self ignition I mean. of course, such ignition as takes place, for example, inthe Diesel engine, or in any engine wherein ignition comes from the heat of compression.

.By the term ignition not so modified or limited I mean, of course, ignition by separate means or means other than heat of compression.

By the expression water I, of course, mean water in any of its various forms.

By the expression self ignition preventive I mean any substance which applied .or mixed with the charge will tend to delay or prevent self-ignition.

I claim 1 -l. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof, then while continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel thereto and atomizing it, then discontinuing the supply of fuel but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture.

The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof, then while continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel and a liquid pre-ignition preventive thereto and atomizing them, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and such pre-ignition preventive but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired,

mixture.

3. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof, then while continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel and water there to and atomizing them, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and water but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufiiciently supplied with the desired mixture.

4. The process of forming the charge in a coInbust-ion S1 Eutilizing i vhich consists in supplying air to .the cylinder thereof, then while continuing the supply. of air supplying successively fuel and water thereto, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and water but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sutliciently supplied with the desired mixture.

5. The processof forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by a current having a high velocitv zone and period, then while continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel to such current at such high velocity zone by inhalation'due to the air current while at its approximate maximum velocity, then discontinuing the supply of fuel but continuing the supply ofair until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture.

6. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by a current having a high velocity zone and period, then while continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel and a liquid pre-ignition preventive by inhalation due to the air current while at its approximate maximum velocity, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and such pre-ignition preventive but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture.

7. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by a current having-a high velocity zone and period, then while continuing the supply of air supplying fuel and water to such current, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and water, but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture.

8. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying, air to the cylinder thereof by a current having a high velocity zone and period, then while continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel to such current within such high velocity zone and during such high velocity period by inhalation dffe to the air current while at its approximate maximum velocity, then discontinuing the supply of fuel but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture.

.9. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by a current having a high velocity zone and period, then While continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel and a pre-ignition preventive to the current within such high velocity zone during such high velocity period, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and such pre'ignition preventive but continuing the supply of airguntil the cylinder is supplied with the desired mixture and then igniting such charge.

'10'. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by a current having a high velocity zone and period, then While continuing the supply of air supplying fuel and water to such current within such high velocity zone and during such high velocity period, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and water but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture and independent of the compression pressure thereof.

11. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof, then while continuing the supply of air supplying liquid fuel thereto and atomizing them, then discontinuing the supply of fuel but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the1de sired mixture and then igniting such charge independent of the compression pressure thereof. I

Y 12. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof, then'while continuing the supply of air supplying successively then discontinuing the supply of fuel and water but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufliciently supplied with the desired mixture and then igniting such charge independent of the compression.

13. The process of forn'iing and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by a current having a high velocity zone, then while continuing the supply of air supplying -liquid fuel and a liquid pro-ignition preventive, by inhalation due to the air cur rent while at its approximate maximum velocity, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and such pro-ignition preventive but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired miX ture and then ignitin such charge independent of the compression.

14. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by'a current having a high velocity zone, and period, then while continuing the sup ply of air supplying fuel and water and a pre-ignition preventive, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and water and such preignition preventive but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture and then ignitingsuch charge independent of the compression,

15. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which con sists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof by a current having a high velocity zone and period, then while continuing the supply of air supplying fuel and water to such current. then discontinuing the supply of fuel and water, but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the. desired mixture and then igniting such charge independent of the compression.

fuel and water thereto,

16. The process of forming and utilizing such high velocity period, by inhalation due to the air current while at its approximate.

maximum velocity, then discontinuing the supply of fuelbut continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixture and then igniting such charge independent of the compression.

17 The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder thereof 'by a current having a high velocity Zone and period, then while continuing the su ply of air supplying liquid fuel and a liquid preignition preventive to the current within such high velocity zone during such high velocity period, by inhalation due to the air current While at its approximate maximum velocity, then discontinuing the supply of fuel and such pro-ignition preventive but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder is supplied with the desired mixture and then igniting such charge by externally controlled means.

18. The process of forming and utilizing the charge in a combustion motor which consists in supplying air to the cylinder theresf by a current having a high velocity zone and period, then' while continuing the supply of air supplying fuel and water to such current Within such high velocity zone and during such high velocity period, then discontinu-, ing the'supply of fuel and water'but continuing the supply of air until the cylinder issul'ficient-ly supplied With the desired mixture and then igniting such, charge by ex- -19. The process of forming and utilizingapproximate maximum velocity, then dis 1 continuing the supply of liquid fuel but continuing the supply of air until the cylinw der is sufficiently supplied with the desired mixtureand then igniting such charge 1n'dependent of the compression.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 7 in the presence of two witnesses this 13th.v

day of April, 1915.

JOHN A. SEC'OR.

\Vitnesses:

MINNlE M. LINDENAU, CHRISTINA DEANS. 

